Artificial limb.



' ,0. v. BLoN.`

ARTIFICIAL APPLIOATION FILED v .29, 1913.

1,091,1 1 5, Patented Mar.24,19'14. v

CHARLES V. BLO'N, OF BELLAIRE, OHIO.

ARTIFICIAL LIME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 24,1914.

Application led October 29, 1913. Serial No. 798,140.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES` V. BLoN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bellaire, in the county ofBelmont and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Artificial Limbs, of which the follo-wing is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

rIlhis invention relates to new and useful improvements in artificiallimbs and more particularly to an ankle construction therefor and theprimary object of the invention is to provide an improved ankleconstruction for such artificial limbs which will enable the userthereof to walk as efficiently as though the limb were real.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts of my improvedartificial limb, whereby certain important advantages are attained andthe device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise moreconvenient and advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter morefully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully dened in theappended claim.

In order that my invention may be the f betterunderstood, I will nowproceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional view through a deviceconstructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is an enlargeddetail section thereof.

In describing my invention, I shall refer to the drawing in whichsimilar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views and in which- 1 indicates the leg portion of anartificial limb of the usual or any preferred type, the same beinghollow for the greater portion of its length and having the solidportion 2 formed at the lower end thereof. This solid portion is flaredoutwardly somewhat toward its lower end and the lower face thereof isconvened, as shown at 3. The foot portion 4 of this artificial limb isadapted to be secured to the solid portion 2 and my invention primarilycontemplates the provision of an improved means for accomplishing thisresult.

The upper face of the foot member 4 which is adapted to contact with thelower face 3 of the member 2, is also designed conveXly as shown at 5and said conveked faces 3 and 5 of the members 2 and 4, respectively,are provided about centrally with Ahemispherical sockets 6 which areadapted to register with one another. Metal socket portions 7 aremounted in said sockets 6 and a rubber ball or other yielding member ofspherical design, indicated at 8, is adapted to be received in saidregistering sockets, whenthe members are applied oneupon the other.

Extending through the solid portion 2 forward and rearward respectivelyof the sockets 6 therein, is a pair of rods 9, the lower ends of whichterminate at points just beyond the lower face 3 of said member, whilethe upper ends thereof extend through sockets 10 formed in the upperface of said solid portion 2. These rods 9 are inclined somewhatinwardly toward their upper ends and extend through rubber blocks orbuffers 11 which are snugly mounted in said sockets 10, the extremeupper ends of said rods being provided with nuts 12 to secure the samein position. Extending through the foot portion 4, forwardly andrearwardly of the socket members therein, is a pair of additional rods13, the upper ends thereof terminating just above the upper face 5 ofsaid member. The lower ends of the rods 9 and the upper ends 0f the rods13 are hinged one to the other, as shown at 14 and the lower ends ofsaid rods 13 extend through rubber blocks or buffers 15 which aremounted in sockets formed in the under face of said foot portion 4,similar to the sockets and buffers in the member 2. The rods 13 formcontinuations of the rods 9, the same, together forming tie rods betweenthe members 2 and- 4. The lower ends of said rods 13 are provided withheads 16. These rods which continue completely through the members 2 and4, together form a securing means between said members and act in thesame capacity as the main leaders in the ankle of the human body.

A device constructed as above described will admit of the propermovement of the leg with respect to the foot and will positively preventany twisting of the foot in a horizontal plane. The construction will,however, permit the foot to accommodate itself to the variousinequalities of the surface on which it is placed and will readily sovyield on a plane extending from front to rear in conformation to themovement of the wearer of the artificial limb in walking.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple,inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the objects of theinvention and while I have particularly described the elements bestadapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that variouschanges in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe principles of the invention.

Having -thus described this invention, what I claim is An artificiallimb comprising two members, one of which is a ieg section and the othera foot section, the opposed faces of such sections being cOnveXed, suchconveXed portions being provided at their centers with sockets adaptedto be in superimposed rela- Copies of this patent may be obtained fortion when the sections are assembled, a compressible spherical bodypositioned within such sockets and of such diameter as to maintain thesections normally separated, adjacent portions of the sections being prvided with openings therethrough, the openings of one section beingsubstantially in alinement with the openings of the second section, tierods directed through each series of alined openings of the sections andbeing hingedly connected at a point intermediate the sections, suchhinged connections being in a horizontal plane intersecting the centerof the compressible body, and compressible means coacting with the freeextremities of the rods.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CHARLES V. BLON. lVitnesses WILLIAM O. VVINsTEAD, J @HN W. MonsnLL.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D.C.

